I heard a hot take that Ulysses is anti-imperialist literature that preserves memory of Dublin as a living city in resistance to British assimilationism. Put that in your pipe and smoke it condescending suburban white lady!

Anglos just assume anything related to Ireland is inherently nonsense, thus making Joyce completely incomprehensible to them.

Also, Ulysses is an eminently readable book, like it’s very dense which means you have to read it a couple times and read commentary/annotations, but that’s something every great work of literature requires. They teach you this in HS English. Finnigan Wake I could take or leave, but Ulysses is a genuine masterpiece.